


Prayer of the Children

by vampire1317



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-16
Updated: 2012-12-16
Packaged: 2017-11-21 07:43:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/595221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vampire1317/pseuds/vampire1317
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>this is about a small moment in the war where it hits home with Garrus. the colony was attacked by collectors. Garrus sister and nephew are on the colony.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prayer of the Children

**Author's Note:**

> just a short i couldn't get out of my mind for a little while until i finally wrote it. this work has been done for a little while now but im going to post a few of my shorts first before i get to the longer ones :)

"Why would the Collectors attack this colony? I thought they were only going after humans." Miranda asked.

"What do you mean?" Tali asked. 

"This colony was an experiment to see how well turians and humans could live together in spite of the war thirty years ago. The asari were added as mediators two years after the experiment started due to the high percentage of fights. It calmed down after that." Jacob explained.

"Whose idea was that?" Shepard asked.

"Surprisingly Udinas." Miranda answered. Shepard's jaw almost hit the floor. Mordin blinked.

"I know you're kidding."

"I wish I was." 

"Think there are any survivors?" Kasumi asked. Zaeed scoffed.

"Look around you. Almost every building looks like it was put through the mass relay and set back down with as much force as possible." A strange noise came from Garrus. 

"What was that, Garrus?" The Commander asked. Before Garrus answered he looked around intently.

"My sister and her son are on this colony." 

"As if this place isn't depressing enough." Jacob muttered. Shepard shot him a look. 

"Anything that could easily identify them?" Mordin asked.

"My sister is easy to spot. She has the same armor as me as well as my clan markings. My nephew has two long scars that run down the left side of his face." Garrus chuckled. "He got them after he confessed his feelings to the girl he loved." A little sparkle lit Shepard's eye.

"So never tell a female turian that you love them…dually noted." Garrus gave a strained laugh.

"Don't forget that piece of advice and everything will be fine in the galaxy." 

"Alright, let's split into two groups of four. Zaeed you're with Jacob. Samara you're with Kasumi. Mordin you're with Miranda. Garrus and Tali you're with me. Spread out and stay in radio contact."

They walked around for thirty minutes before anybody said anything over the COM.

"Commander, Mordin and I found someone alive. He keeps muttering about hordes of blue glowing dead. Wait a minute, something's wrong." It was several moments before anything was said.

"Survivor died but had no wounds. trauma too much to take for him. Just gave up on living. First time I have seen this. Understand why now." Mordin said. 

"Alright everybody keep looking." Shepard said. They continued searching for a few more minutes.

"Tell me about your nephew Garrus." She said. The turian thought a moment about what to tell them.

"There was this one time right after I join C-sec when I took him out to try shooting a sniper rifle. After he shot the gun Val looked…did I tell you his name? His name is Val. Val looked at me and told me that he wanted to be just like me when he grew up. I told him that when he's old enough we can work together at C-sec. watch each other's back. Have some adventures like he saw in the movies. He got so excited after I said that I was scared to let him hold a gun. That was seven years ago, he was six then." Garrus fell into silence. Shepard put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Shepard, you may want to see this." Kasumi said over the COM.

"What is it?"

"A massacre." She answered quietly.

"Where you at?"

"The Green in the center." Tali saw a worried look come over Garrus face.

"We'll be right there." Looking back at Tali and Garrus he motioned them forward.  
When they reached the center it was indeed a massacre. There were bodies everywhere. Three bodies caught the Commanders attention. Three children. An Asrari, a turian, and a human. The human and the Asari were holding on to each other. It looked like the turian had tried to protect them. The turian was burned beyond recognition. Garrus knelt by the turian. Reaching for the neck he lifted something off the corpse. It was a necklace.

"I gave this to Val when I was on Omega." Garrus voice came out strained. Shepard knelt down by the Asari and human. He ran his hands over the Asari's head and through the human's hair. 

"Goddess!" Samara Gasped as she found the Commander and Garrus. Shepard closed the two children's staring eyes. Why is it the innocent that always suffer? These children…the children will never grow old. They won't know the wonders of this galaxy they live in. The pain in Shepard's chest was too much. Unbidden, he started singing quietly then as the emotion grew stronger the singing got louder. 

Can you hear the prayer of the children?  
On bended knee, in the shadow of an unknown room  
Empty eyes with no more tears to cry  
Turning heavenward toward the light 

Crying Jesus, help me  
To see the morning light-of one more day  
But if I should die before I wake,  
I pray my soul to take 

The Commander was never one for religion but now more than ever he had to believe that those children were in a better place. That Val was in a better place. Shepard's angelic tenor filled the area. It was soon joined by a beautiful baritone. Jacob stood behind Shepard as he added his voice in the prayer for all the dead here. The two of them seemed to be standing in the mist of angels as they sang. 

Can you feel the hearts of the children?  
Aching for home, for something of their very own  
Reaching hands, with nothing to hold on to,  
But hope for a better day, a better day 

Crying Jesus, help me  
To feel the love again in my own land  
But if unknown roads lead away from home,  
Give me loving arms, away from harm 

Can you hear the voice of the children?  
Softly pleading for silence in a shattered world?  
Angry guns preach a gospel full of hate,  
Blood of the innocent on their hands 

Crying Jesus, help me  
To feel the sun again upon my face,  
For when darkness clears I know you are near,  
Bringing peace again 

Dali cujete sve djecje molitive?  
Can you hear the prayer of the children?

As their voices faded the angels surrounding them stayed. It seemed that the angels had their arms around the Commander offering him what comfort they could. Shepard forced himself to his feet. Turing around, he faced the rest of the team. He pointed to the bodies of the children and Garrus bent form.

"War is hell." He stated. "This is why the Reapers started this. What you see here, this is the way the rest of the galaxy will look under their rule. Freedom? A thing of the past. Identity? What's that? This is the world the Reapers will make into reality. We fight for our right to live. We fight for the prayers of the children. We fight for our dead. Nothing will be in vain. No death will be in vain. The Reapers will know fear. I will personally see to that." At his finally word the angels faded away leaving Shepard again to bear the burden of the people.

"Uncle Garrus!" a small voice called out. Garrus head snapped up in time to see a small figure tackle him. Holding the small figure up, he saw two scars down the left side of its face.

"Val! You're alive!" he gasped out, tears fell down the turians face. "Thank the spirits, you're alive!"

"Didn't know turians could cry." Zaeed grunted. Tali hit the back of his head. Val pulled back to look at his uncle.

"What happened to your face?" He asked.

"I told a beautiful turian woman that I loved her." Garrus answered. Shepard started coughing trying very hard not to laugh. Jacob failed. Garrus gave them all a little smirk over his nephew's shoulder. Running his hand over Val's fringe he asked.

"Why don't you have your necklace I gave you?"

"I lost it in a bet."

"You bet my necklace?"

"I was sure I was going to win." Garrus chuckled. holding the side of Val's face he said,

"I'm just glad you weren't the one wearing it. Where's your mom?" Val's mandibles dropped.

"I don't know. I…she told me to go to the shelter…she said she would meet me there." Val looked at the ground. "What if we can't find her?" Garrus used a talon to make Val meet his eyes.

"We will find your mother and she will be fine. You know your mother. Can anything hold her back or get in her way?" a ghost of a smile hinted Val's face.

"Spirits help whatever gets in her way." 

"That's right." Garrus laughed. Hand in hand they both started toward the rest of the team.

"Val! Garrus!"

"Mom!"


End file.
